


One with the Sea

by faceplantmay



Series: The Mundane Adventures of Angus McDonald [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Drabble, Loneliness, Longing, Other, i just want my son happy, still happy ending tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 22:28:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11907495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faceplantmay/pseuds/faceplantmay
Summary: Angus McDonald is the World's Best Detective. But that doesn't always mean he likes being alone.





	One with the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> I had this started before the finale, so this is not in response to the canonical line of events that happen for my boy, but I am so happy he ends up in a good place. I just wanted to think of the most mild form of angst for my child. And what is the best thing to play with for a child genius living alone on the moon?
> 
> Loneliness!

Although Taako had given Angus McDonald a spare key to the dormitory suite, the wizard had made it specifically clear that the key was only to be used in _emergencies_. Dire, life- _absolutely_ -being-threatened emergencies. Being bored wasn't an emergency. Being lonely wasn't an emergency. Being eleven and without friends his own age wasn't an emergency. 

And since this _wasn't_ an emergency, Angus knocked. He balled his fist and pounded hard on the door, holding back the hollers he felt rising in his throat. One, two, three solid bangs against the metal, and a pause. No sound, no shushing, no Magnus-giant-man-feels-bad-for-the-kid footsteps. Angus took a beat, then knocked again. One. Two. Three. 

Four.

 

Five.

 

Six.

His last knock was gentle rapping that twanged across the metal. They weren't home. For some reason, this felt like a defeat; he had come all this way from his own little, quiet dormitory to just _be_ in the presence of Taako, Merle, and Magnus and filter feed off of their energy like a krill. Just a tiny little speck in the sea of the world that was the Tres Horny Boys. But they weren't home. Sighing heavily, he lost the usual perfect posture he worked so hard to maintain and slumped as he walked back down the hall to the elevators. His feet were flippers, flopping along the floor with a disheartening thud **flop** thud **flop**. Angus didn't even look up to see which elevator would come to get him and take him to one of the upper level floors, closer to his own dorm. He just waited until he heard the familiar ding of the chime, and went right in, eyes still tracking the way his feet moved when he walked.

The elevator doors whooshed open just one floor beneath his own, and he glanced up to see who had called for a lift. A Bureau of Balance member, a dragon born that he had never met before, nodded at him with a smile across their face. Angus knew that look. It was usually followed by a-

"Well, hi, sweetie. What are you doing up here all alone?" There it is.

The dragon born made a sly motion, flashing their B.O.B bracer as they flipped their arm to check their watch for the time. _Bold,_ Angus thought. "I haven't seen a child around here before, are you visiting your parent?" They thought for a second before finishing, "Is that even possible?" They let their arm linger in the air a little too long for it to be a time check, and then they crossed their arms in front of them, rocking back and forth on their feet, their bracer on the outside arm. _But with that restraint, not too bold._

"Actually, I was just on my way to run an errand." Angus took a moment to pause. "But it seems the elevator doesn't know which way you want to go without pushing a button." He smiled gently at the flustered employee as they pushed for the floor three up from where they met. The elevator lurched, taking its first passenger to their destination before continuing. The dragon born chuckled a bit, embarrassed by their own oversight. In the following thirty seconds before the door opened to let Angus off at his floor, the boy detective turned and faced the dragon born, his cheeky grin mixed with a splash of sarcastic sweetness. The elevator pinged again, and he walked out backwards, tipping his hat towards the employee with the arm his bracer was on. "My room is that way, it was nice talking to you!" 

 

With another bing, the elevator was gone, the dragon born a little slack jawed at the situation that had just unfolded in less than a minute or so. He waved the elevator off, and let his hand drop as he face followed suit. Angus could always go and study under The Director, but as of late she had been particularly busy and had kept her office closed to him. Aside from accompanying him on walks around the yard in the evenings, she used to always let him come and look around her giant room, but lately the doors closed as soon as she sat down. 

No Director, no Goofs. 

"Carey!" He struck his fist against his open palm and turned quickly away from his spot where he had been standing still in front of the elevator. His back straightened and he walked briskly, trying to contain his smile. Carey, Killian, and No3113 lived a few halls away from his own room, and it was just right around the corner to get to their home. He counted the doors as he came to a stop in front of the dormitory that housed Team Sweet Flips _That's what Magnus calls them, right?_ Angus bounced on the ball of his toes as he raised his hand to knock. 

The mechanical hum of No3113 was absent. He didn't hear Carey laughing. There were no sounds of anything at all. 

One knock. _Nothing._

Two knocks. _No noises._

Three knocks. _Where are you?_

Before even raising his fist for the fourth time, Angus dropped his hand against his hip and shuffled away from the door. He turned right from their dorm and followed the maze of hallways by muscle memory to his small domicile. He pulled the key from his pants pocket, shoved it in the keyhole, and turned the knob. Darkness and silence greeted him. He slapped the light switch and the overhead lights flickered on, blanketing the room in a ghastly sterile glow.

He threw his keys on to the single twin sized bed that was tucked into the corner of the room, aligned against the wall, parallel to his desk that was meticulously kept. A Caleb Cleveland: Kid Cop book sat on his pillows, tented over the fold in his blankets that made his bed look Hotel Neat. Angus slipped his shoes off at the door, closing it as he used his toes to push off the heel back. They were neatly arranged on a shoe rack next to his door and he placed them on the bottom row, toes faced towards the wall. In three steps, Angus was able to throw himself face forward onto his mattress. Very quietly, he screamed into the covers, fists balled up next to his head. It was so _frustrating_. No one was home or they were all busy, and the dragon born he had run into on the elevator made the obvious even more apparent: He was alone. There was no one his age, no one to talk to, no one to swap stories with. Not unless they were all several years older. _Several_ years older. He groaned and rolled over onto his back.

"I guess everyone's just got something going on."

He stood up and shimmied out of his clothes, slipping on a pair of shorts and a loose cotton t-shirt. His bed waited for him. He curled up under his sheets, pulled his book up onto his lap, and grabbed his wand from underneath the pillows. _Chapter Five._

~*~

With a start, Angus woke up, his book falling off of his chest and to the floor. There was a loud banging on his door and his Stone of Far Speech was about to ring itself off of his desk. He scrambled to his feet, fixing his glasses that had squished into his cheeks. He picked up the communication device right before it fell and answered it.

"Hey, my man, we're back. Potluck is planned at Carey's. We'll meet you there." Angus wasn't able to interject before the call ended and Taako's voice cut out. The banging on his door continued, so he shoved the Stone into his pocket, and opened the door to find a very beat up, but recently cleaned, Magnus. With his restraint abandoned, Angus wrapped his arms around the large man and all but stopped himself from burying his face into Magnus' stomach.

"'Sup, Ango?" A large hand pat onto Angus' head and Angus sniffled a little as he pulled back, straightening his posture and rubbing his eyes.

"Taako said something about a potluck?" Magnus nodded, a laugh in his throat. "Did you come get me for that?"

"You weren't answering his calls. He told me you would be fine, but I wanted to come make sure you were okay. You're usually really good at picking up for one of us." Angus smiled. "That I am, sir." 

Magnus offered the boy his hand for a high five, _To hold it?_ , but then retracted it with a small chuckle. "You don't have to bring anything but yourself, it's kind of just a get together after everything. A breather, if you will." Magnus nodded to the side, a c'mon gesture. No shoes, no hat, no notice, Angus followed after him, closing his door without locking it. It was three steps to every one of Magnus', but Angus kept pace, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, a smile on his face. 

They reached Carey's apartment without delay, and Magnus opened the door to a warm crowd. Angus stepped out of his shadow, swallowing back his stopped heart as everyone greeted him, each in their own way. Magnus gestured for Angus to continue inside, and the boy sat on the couch between Carey and Killian, who both had their arms resting on the back of the seat, laughing and trading stories of their adventure. Merle rolled his eyes at the child, but a nudge from Magnus brought a flicker of a grin across his weathered face. And in the little kitchenette of the dorm, he could hear Taako banging around, making _something_ for all of them since no one had actually planned this. In his comfy clothes, surrounded by the crashing summer sea that was his friends, Angus McDonald let himself melt into the waves of conversation that swallowed him whole.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, quick note
> 
> Sorry if this seems a little slap dashed towards the end. I am currently editing right before Harvey hits and we lose power, so that's a thing, I guess. To anyone and everyone else in Texas, be safe, stay away from the coast, and keep an eye on your neighbors. We need to have each other's backs when things like this happen. There were supposed to be more ocean and sea themes, but I'm probably gonna hold off on that one for now?
> 
> As always, you can find me on tumblr, faceplantmay.tumblr.com or twitter @faceplantmay. Right now is all storm and political rants (Twitter) so maybe...hold off on that one?
> 
> Adios and be safe,
> 
> With love,  
> May


End file.
